Senate Finance advances array of bills including jail reimbursements, child advocacy funding and tire-tax transfer for roads

The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee met April 21, 2025, and advanced a broad set of bills and resolutions affecting corrections funding, cultural grants, health and social-service programs, and transportation financing.

The committee approved finance amendments and recommended passage of multiple bills to the Senate calendar, adopted several resolutions and moved a number of items to subcommittees or the next calendar. Committee members and sponsors emphasized fiscal implications, local impacts and program continuity during debate.

Why this matters: the committee is the gateway for budget and fiscal policy in Tennessee. Several measures the panel advanced either carry state funding in the current budget (for example child advocacy center increases and certain health pilot continuations) or change recurring revenue allocation (transportation funding tied to tire sales taxes). Other measures set policy or study direction that could generate future state expenditures or program changes.

Key outcomes and items taken up

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation or action) - House Joint Resolution 51 (HJR51): designates July 1–31, 2025, as a month of prayer and fasting; recommended for passage to the committee on the calendar (committee vote recorded as passed). - House Joint Resolution 147 (HJR147): supports regulation or ban of kratom; recommended for passage to the committee on the calendar (committee vote recorded: 9 ayes, 1 present not voting as announced by clerk). - Senate Bill 918 (Campbell) — personal watercraft: committee adopted Finance Amendment No. 78-31 (raises minimum unsupervised weekend/holiday operator age from 12 to 14, removes mandated insurance requirement, sets effective date 2026-01-01) and then the sponsor asked to roll the bill to the first calendar of 2026; amendment adopted. - Senate Bill 289 (Bailey): extends James Dustin Samples Act to cover law enforcement officers and emergency medical responders for PTSD; funded in the budget and recommended for passage to the calendar (committee vote recorded: 10 ayes). - Senate Bill 654 (Crow): continued funding/vehicle for the Alzheimer's & dementia respite care pilot (roughly $600,000 legacy funds) as described by the sponsor; finance amendment adopted; recommended for passage to the calendar (committee vote recorded: 10 ayes). - Senate Bill 446 (Crow) / 646 series: legislation to provide aid to counties that borrowed for hurricane response (described as $110,000,000 vehicle for county loan interest and fees); finance amendment adopted; recommended for passage to the calendar (committee vote recorded: 10 ayes). - Senate Bill 450 (Massey): increase base state contracts for Child Advocacy Centers from $52,000 to $127,000, increase forensic interview contract amounts and set a capped 3% year-over-year adjustment tied to at least 1% state revenue growth; committee adopted Finance Amendment No. 46-74; fiscal note funded in the budget; recommended for passage to the calendar. - Senate Bill 186 (Jackson): jail-reimbursement changes (amendment adopted that adjusts stipend eligibility/increase for certain tiered jails); the bill as amended was recommended for passage to the calendar (committee adopted finance amendment; final tally announced as 10 ayes). - Senate Bill 925 (Jackson): extends the sales-tax exemption for broadband equipment for two additional years (finance amendment adopted); recommended for passage to the calendar. - Senate Bill 229 (Briggs): ethics and campaign finance bill as amended (deletes section earmarking lobbyist privilege tax, among other edits); finance amendment adopted; recommended for passage to the calendar (committee vote announced as 8 ayes, 2 nos). - Senate Bill 944 (Massey) as amended by Judiciary: requires mental-health evaluation as part of sentencing for certain offenses, among other changes; recommended for passage to the calendar (committee vote announced as 10 ayes, 1 no). - Senate Bill 374 (Rose) as amended: directs the Speaker to appoint a study committee to plan a Western Grand Division facility to house certain detained juveniles; finance amendment adopted. Committee agreed the bill will be held on the Senate calendar pending House action on a fiscal note (committee recommended passage to the calendar but agreed to hold and not move forward on the floor if the House does not remove its fiscal note). - Senate Bill 144 (Wally) as amended by Finance: redirects the sales and use tax collected on the purchase of new and used tires to a dedicated transportation highway fund (and, as amended in committee, keeps other vehicle sales taxes in the general fund); finance amendment adopted; recommended for passage to the calendar. Sponsors described an $80 million first-year recurring revenue estimate rising in subsequent years.

What the committee debated in detail - Jail reimbursements and county impacts (Sen. Jackson): the sponsor described two major changes: (1) proposed earlier start of state reimbursements was narrowed by the finance amendment (the amendment removed the move to begin reimbursement on the conviction date) and (2) the amendment increases the additional stipend for tier‑1 and tier‑2 certified county jails (the sponsor and members discussed that roughly 18–22 jails currently qualify for that tiered stipend). "The bill requires the state to pay counties from the date of conviction," Sen. Jackson said during his explanation of the original intent; committee action narrowed the measure and focused the amendment on stipend increases for certified jails.

- Child Advocacy Center funding (Sen. Massey; witness testimony): testimony from Stephen Warner, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Tennessee, explained the amendment raises recurring base contract funding from $52,000 to $127,000 per center and increases forensic interview contract amounts (the amendment replaces earlier language that tied increases to DCS budget growth). Warner told the committee, "So that $300,000 number is the most that our contracts across the state would increase in any given year," and explained the proposed increases reflect an update of 1996 funding levels and current costs.

- Transportation funding (Sen. Wally): the sponsor described a proposal to dedicate sales tax from tire purchases to a transportation highway fund and said, "I believe these are fair and equitable user fees for those driving on our roads." The finance amendment that made the bill removed a prior provision dedicating sales taxes on vehicle purchases; the adopted version directs tire sales tax revenue to transportation and does not create a new tax.

- Juvenile detention study committee (Sen. Rose): Sen. Rose offered an amendment to create a temporary study committee to develop recommendations for a Western Grand Division facility to house certain detained juveniles. The chair and sponsor discussed fiscal-note logistics with members; the committee adopted the amendment and agreed—by mutual understanding with the sponsor—to hold further Senate floor action until the House addresses an outstanding fiscal note.

Process notes and committee next steps - Several bills were described as "behind the budget" (not funded) and were either moved to general subcommittee, rolled to the 2026 calendar, or held by agreement pending further action in the House. Committee leaders repeatedly noted that if a bill creates an unfunded obligation it is typically left to future budget action or subsequent general assemblies to fund.

Quotes - Stephen Warner, executive director, Children's Advocacy Centers of Tennessee: "So that $300,000 number is the most that our contracts across the state would increase in any given year." (testimony during consideration of Senate Bill 450.) - Sen. Jackson (sponsor, jail reimbursement changes): "The bill requires the state to pay counties from the date of conviction." (explanation of original bill intent; the finance amendment narrowed the scope.) - Sen. Wally (sponsor, transportation): "I believe these are fair and equitable user fees for those driving on our roads." (explanation of Senate Bill 144 as amended.)

Ending The committee’s action forwards several budgeted items now funded in the 2025 budget and advances a range of policy changes that will be considered on the Senate calendar. Several measures that carry fiscal implications but were not funded will remain under further committee or subcommittee review or were rolled to future calendars. Committee chairs signaled a brief reconvening to handle an additional resolution and closed the meeting to the call of the chair.